Sparta student collects jeans for teens in homeless shelters
Sparta. Cody Ryersen learned that there are approximately 1.5 million American teens and children in homeless shelters annually, and that the number one item they request is a pair of jeans.
Sparta /
| 23 Dec 2021 | 01:23
Cody Ryersen (Photo provided)
Cody Ryersen, a senior at Sparta High School, is sponsoring the Teens for Jeans campaign in the Sparta community.
After his father’s death, Cody assisted in the daunting task of sorting through his father’s personal items. Anyone who has suffered a loss can imagine it is extremely difficult to part with your loved one’s items. This prompted Cody’s family to do some research, and they stumbled on the Teens for Jeans Campaign.
Since 2008 Aeropostale and dosomething.org have partnered in the Teens for Jeans campaign. Cody learned that there are approximately 1.5 million American teens and children in homeless shelters annually. The number one item that teens in homeless shelters request is a pair of jeans. Jeans can be dressed up or dressed down and provide a sense of normalcy to the person wearing them.
Cody knew that this was a worthwhile endeavor and a perfect tribute to his dad, who worked daily with teens in his career as a high school teacher. After rounding up his father’s jeans, he reached out to friends, neighbors, and the school community. Since the program’s inception in Sparta, the family has donated over 1000 pairs of jeans. Cody hopes to increase his personal goal for his 2021 campaign.
Cody would like to extend his gratitude to all those who have contributed to the annual campaigns and encourage everyone to put aside their gently-used denim.
